Method of forming a stitch.



F. N. LA CHAPELLE.

METHOD OF FORMING A STITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1913.

1,185,107. Patented May 30,1916.

j 1 15 WII j v I v mt: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. 1). CV

TUNTTEU era rns earner o FRED N. LA CHAPELLE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF FORMING A STITCH.

Application filed March 31, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED N. LA CI-IAPELLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming a Stitch; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a novel method of making a single thread stitch which is locked in the work upon its completion.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and expeditious method of forming this stitch which may be practised manually or with a sewing machine and which insures that each stitch shall be securely set and locked in the work without liability of breaking the thread.

The invention will be clearly understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawing which illustrates somewhat diagrammatically the successive operations which are preferably performed upon the thread in practising the method of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing; Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the operation of passing a loop of thread through the material; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the operation of grasping and holding the loop while the needle is retracted; Fig. 5 illustrates the feeding of the needle into a position for forming the second loop; Fig. 6 illustrates the formation of the second loop; Fig. 7 illustrates the insertion of the first formed loop in the second; Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the operation of drawing upon the thread from the supply end to lock the stitch in the work simultaneously with the retracting of the needle, and the severing of the thread at the completion of the stitch; and Fig. 10 illustrates the needle which is preferably employed in practising the present method.

In the drawing, the two layers of material to be sewed are indicated at 1 and 2 respectively, and the thread which is manipulated to form a lock stitch is indicated at 3. For convenience of description, the side of the work from which the thread is drawn will be hereinafter designated as the front side Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30. 1916.

Serial No. 757,925.

anld the opposite side of the work as the back SIC e.

The improved method of forming the stitch contemplates passing two loops of thread through the work from the front side, passing one loop of thread through. the other upon the back side of the work, and pulling upon the thread from the front side of the work to draw the encircling loop into the work and lock the stitch. In the preferred method shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, two loops of thread are passed successively through the work from the front side, the first loop of thread is then passed through the second upon the back side of the work, and finally the supply end of the thread is drawn upon from the front side of the work to draw the second loop into the work and lock the stitch. With this method the stitch is locked by a direct pull upon a short length of thread and only sufficient thread is employed to properly form the stitch, the slack thread which is gathered in when the stitch is tightened being utilized for the next stitch and not wasted.

In forming the stitch a loop l of thread is first passed through the layers of material from the front side by a curved eye needle indicated at 6. In order to clamp the short end of the thread, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, and prevent its being drawn through the work, the under side of the needle is provided with a groove 8 in which the supply side of the loop lies and is allowed to slide freely. When the needle advances, the short end of the thread is clamped between the needle and work and all of the thread for the formation of the loop is drawn from the supply side. The friction of the thread as it is drawn through the eye of the needle maintains the upper side of the loop taut and as the needle advances a space is formed between the curved arc of the needle and this side of the loop. lVhen the needle has completed its advancing movement the upper side of the loop is engaged by a hook 9 formed upon a finger 10, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. The loop 4 is then held by the finger 10 while the needle passes a second loop 11 through the work. After the second loop has been completed by the needle, the loop 4: is carried through it upon the back side of the loop into which the finger may be the work by the finger 10,as shown clearly in Fig. 6. In order to facilitate this operation the advancing movement of the needle 6' is increased when forming the second loop, as shown from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 6, leaving a relatively wide space between the shank of the needleand upper side of end of the thread drawing with it the loop a and setting the stitch securely in the work. After the stitch hasbeen set, a cutting stroke 1 is imparted to a knife 15 to sever the supply thread close to the work, thus avoiding a waste of thread.

The operations which are performed as above described and illustrated in the draw ing are'those which are preferred in practising the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that except as defined in the claims the invention is not limited to the precise method illustrated and described which includes clamping the end of the thread while the first loop is formed-and the severing of the supply thread upon the completion of the stitch.

The invention having been thus described,

7 what is claimed is:

1. The method of making a complete single thread stitch which consists in passing two loops of thread through the work from the front side, passing one loop of thread through the other upon the back side of the work and releasing the encircled loop, and pulling upon the thread from the front side of the work to draw the encircling loop into the work and lock the stitch.

p 2. The method of making a complete single thread stitch which consists in passing two loops of thread successively through the work from the front side, passing the first loop of thread through the second upon the back side of the work releasing the first loop, and drawing upon the supply end of the thread from the front side to draw both loops into the work and lock the stitch.

3. The method of making a complete single thread stitch which consists in passing two loops of thread successively through the work from the front side and clamping the short end of the thread during the formation of the first loop, passing the first loop of thread through the second upon the back side of the work, and drawing upon the supply end of the thread from the front side to draw the second loop into the work and lock the stitch.

4. The method of making a complete single thread stitch which consists in passing two loops of thread successively through the work from the front side, passing the first loop of thread through the second upon the back side of the work, drawing upon the supply end of the thread from the front side to draw the second loop into the work and lock the stitch, and finally severing the supply thread close to the work.

FRED N. LA OHAPELLE.

Witnesses:

BURTON W. CARY, MARY A. HURLnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eentl each, by addressing the "Comminloner of Patents,

- Washing-ton, D. C." 

